Police: DUI checkpoint set tonight in Hayward

HAYWARD -- Police will conduct a DUI checkpoint starting at 8 p.m. on Saturday at an undisclosed location in the city.

Officers will make contact with drivers passing through the checkpoint and look for signs of alcohol or drug impairment, said Sgt. Chad Olthoff.

A second checkpoint is also slated for Sept. 1, Olthoff said. That event will also start at 8 p.m.

Anyone caught driving impaired may face jail time, license revocation, insurance hikes, court fines and other expenses that can exceed $10,000, according to police.

In 2010, 791 people died in California in crashes in which a driver or motorcycle rider was at or above the legal limit of .08, Olthoff said.

"On average there is one alcohol impaired driving-related fatality every 51 minutes across America. But this tragic loss of life can be reduced if we get impaired drivers off our roadways," said Olthoff. "Research has shown that high-visibility enforcement like the 'Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over' campaign reduces alcohol-impaired driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent. By joining this statewide wide effort, we will make Hayward's roadways safer for everyone throughout the Labor Day period."

Funding for the checkpoint is made possible through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Safety Administration.